Action toy



Dec. 8, 1942.

J. v. IRENIUS- ACTION TOY Filed Aug. 11; 1941 INVENTOR Q Josephlllmnius,

- f}; 8;? @fi, MM+ Gm. ATTORNEYS such as a horse or dog,

of the sills I 4.

,body portion 22; a

Patented Dec. 8, 1942 I ACTION TOY Joseph V. Irenius, Brooklyn,

Inc.,'East Aurora, N. Y.

Fisher-Price Toys,

N. Y., assignor to Application August 11, 1941, Serial No. 406,275 Claims. (01. 46104) This invention relates to action toys, and more particularly to an improved animatedpull toy.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an action toy of a type which is particularly adapted to simulate a walking or running animal or the like, in which the activated elements of the toy are so organized and arranged as to provide walking or running simulating movements of novel and improved order. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved toy for the purpose described which is of structurally simple and rugged form and adapted to be manufactured byrelatively simple and inexpensive manufacturing processes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of the character described which embodies,

improved sound producing means adapted to simulate the sound effects of a walking or running figure, in an improved manner. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification. hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section of a toy of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the sound producing mechanism thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another portion of the sound producing mechanism, in disassembled relation. 7

The drawing illustrates the invention as comprising a pull toy of the traction wheel mounted type which includes a cart simulating portion I 0 mounted for rolling movement across a fioor or other supporting surface by means of traction wheels, as at l2. The cart ID of the illustration includes a pairof spaced base sills I 4 at opposite sides'of the cart to the under surfaces of which is journalm an axle by means of staples l6. The axle i5 is keyed to the oppositely disposed traction wheels l2, and is provided with an axially offset crank portion l8 intermediately The toy of the drawing also includes an animal simulating figure which comprises acentral head and fore quarter portion 24; a hind-quarter portion .26. The portions 24-46 are pivotally connected to the body portion 22 at 21 and 28 for pivotal movements relative thereto in vertical directions. connection 21 is provided by means of a bushing 29 engaging a pair of bent wire struts 30 having ends turned into the bushin and extending rearwardly therefrom at opposite sides veof thetoy into fixed connection with the cart The pivotal I0; thus simulating customary wagon shafts. The shafts 30 are mounted in cantilever connected relation within the grooved portions of the sills I4, as at 32, and are downwardly turned as at 33 so as to engage within vertically bored portions 34 of the corresponding sills 14. Thus, it will be understood that to provide for assembly of the toy device the shafts 30 may be first mounted so as to have their forward turned end portions extending into the bushing 29 from opposite ends thereof, and the rear end portions of the shafts may then be mounted within the corresponding sill members I4 by insertion of the turned portions 33 of the shafts into the bored portions of the sills until the anchoring sections body portion 22 by means of a pivot pin at 28.

An action transmitting link of bent wire is arranged to extend between the crank portion N3 of the axle l5 and the lowermost leg portions 4 l42 of the fore-quarter and hind-quarter portions respectively, of the figure 20 for imparting figure movement simulating actions to the toy figure. For this purpose the link 40 is bent at its rear end portion to form an eye 44 adapted to engage thecrank portion l8 of the axle I5 in freely journaled relation thereon; and at an intermediate position the link 40 is laterally bent to provide a transversely disposed portion 45 thereof which is threaded through a suitable opening in the leg member 42. The link 40 extends forwardly from the position of the transverse portion 45 into the region of thevfront leg portion M and is laterally bent thereat for pivotal engagement with the inserted through a suitable opening as at 46 therein. Preferably, the extreme forward end portion of the link 40 is again bent parallel to the longitudinal axis of the link, as at 41. subseleg portion 4! by being quent to being mounted upon the leg 14, so as vmounted the frontwheels 12 under the front end of cart as illustrated in the drawing; and themass of the toy cart portion'will be so arranged as to enable the toy cart to support the toy figure 2t 1 lated in vertical directions.

rear end a hind-quarter portion of the toy figure. The fore-quarter portion of the toy figure is also mounted in pivotable relation upon the forward end of the cantilever shafts 30, and the lower end of the fore-quarter section is pivotally connected to the strut 40 which extends rearwardly into engagement with the crank l8. Thus, the strut M! controls the attitude of the fore-quarter section 2% with respect to its movement about its pivotal support 21, and by reason of the connection of the strut to the fore-quarter section 2 the strut 4i] is maintained in predetermined elevation at its forward end, and at its rear end by means of its connection to the crank 18. Thus, the strut Ml functions also as a beam for providing vertical support r.to;the articulated hind-quarter and central body sections of the toy figure 20, through means :o'f the mounting connection between the leg portion 52 and. the strut portion 45.

Preferably, the toycart It) will be-of the four wheel variety; .having a pa1r .of rear wheels thereunderlat the rear end of the cart of the mounting of the in a manner similar to that in vertically elevated position above the level of the floorlahead of the toy cart through means of the cantilever mounting of the shafts 3B.

Thus, it willlbe understood that as the toy is drawn across a floor or other supporting surface,

as by means of the pull string 50, the toy figure 20 will be maintained at an elevation slightly above the floor .line, as at 52. By reason of friction effects the traction wheels i2 will thereby be caused to rotate the axle l5, whereupon the crank portion is of the axle will cause the strut 4cm rotate at its rear end about the orbit of the crank !8 while the front end of the strut '40 will be reciprocated longitudinally of the toy.

Thus, the fore-quarter section 2 of the toy will be caused to oscillate about its pivotal mounting at 21' whereby thehead'portionthereof will appear to 'bob up and down and the foot portion thereof will move in the fashion of a front foot of a running animal. Simultaneously, the rear foot portion 42 will'be reciprocated longitudinally ;of the toy by reason of the longitudinal component of the movement of the strut 48, but

the vertical component thereof in the region of the connection 35 will cause the hind-quarter 26 of the toy figure 20 to be simultaneously oscil- Thus, the hindquarter and centralbody portions of the toy figure 20 will be caused to so move as to cooperate with the movement of the fore-quarter portion 2 3 so as to simulate in unusually effective manner the body movements of a running :or walking horse or dog or other quadruped.

To provide suitable sound. effects in connection with operation of the toy a lever arm til (Figs. 1 and'2) carrying a striker ball 62 is provided with a laterally bent opposite :end portion 64 for pivotal mounting upon a suitably apertured portion of-one of the sills Hi. The lever 60 is formed with a looped intermediate section 6% adapted to encompass the orbit of the axle l5 and to thus lead into a transverse cam section 6 from which the main body portion leads to the striker 62. A lever actuating cam 68 (Figs. 1 and 3) is centrally apertured at $8 for mounting upon the axle it in keyed relation thereon; The cam 63 is of plate-like form and is generally rounded but .10 which extend beyond the radial extent of the major rounded body portion of the cam so as to be adapted to function to lift against the transverse portion '61 of the striker lever when rotated by the axle into contact therewith. Thus, upon relatively rapid movement of the toy across a floor or other supporting surface, the, cam portions 10 will be caused to move against the lever in such manner as to throw the latter upwardly about the axis of its pivotal connection at 64 so that the striker 62 hammers against the wooden floor member H of the cart with a clattering sound effect closely simulating the hoof beats of .a running horse or the like. It will 'be understood that the relative spacing of the cam portions it of the plate 68 will be regulated so as to provide any desired form of timing of the hoof beat effects; and that although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail it will be apparent to those hind-quarter sections, the'latter two pivotal connections being spaced from the pivotal connections between the animalbody section.

2. An action toy including a support, cantilever arm means extending rigidly from said support, an animal-simulating figure comprising a body section, fore and bind quarter sections pivotally connected to the fore and rear portions of said body section, the body section and the fore quarter section being jointly pivotally supported by said arm means for independent pivotal movement, the pivotal connection between said body section and said hind quarter section being free to move about said joint pivotal connection, said front and hind quartersections having-depending leg portions, a crank on said support and a beain element pivotally connected thereto, and means onsaid support for rotating said crank, saidbeam element having pivotal connection with both of said leg portions at spaced points along said beam element.

3. An action toy including a support, cantilever arm means extending rigidly from said support, an "animal-simulating figure comprising a body section, fore, and hind quarter sections pivotally connected to the fore and rear portions of said body section, the body section and the fore quarter section being jointly pivotally supported by said arm means for independent pivotal movement, the pivotal connection between said body section and said hind quarter section being free to move aboutsaid joint pivotal connection, a crank on said support and a beam element pivotally connected thereto, and means on saidsupport for rotating said crank," said beam element having pivotal connections with said 'fore and hind quarter sections spaced from their respective'pivotal connections with said body section."

4; An action toy including a support, cantibody section, fore and hind quarter sections pivotally connected to the fore and rear portions of said body section, th body section and one of said quarter sections being jointly pivotally supported by said arm means for independent pivotal movement, the pivotal connection between said body section and the other of said quarter sections being freeto move about said joint pivotal connection, said front and hind quarter'sections having depending leg portions, a crank on said support and a beam element pivotally connected thereto, and means on said support for rotating said crank, said beam element having pivotal connection with both of said leg portions.

5. An action toy including asupport, cantilever arm means extending rigidly from said support, an animal-simulating figure comprising a body section, fore and hind quarter sections pivotally connected to the fore and rear portions of said body section, the body section and one of said quarter sections being jointly pivotally supported by said arm means for independent pivotal movement, the pivotal connection between said body section and the other of said quarter sections being free to move about said joint pivotal connection, a crank on said support and a beam element pivotally connected thereto, and means on said support for rotating said crank, said beam element having pivotal connections with said fore and hind quarter sections spacedfrom their re spective pivotal connections with said body section.

JOSEPH V. IRENIUS. 

